1997: The year The Prodigy lit a fire under metal

By taking dance music into heavy new territories, The Prodigy started a fire under metal that burned so brightly, it couldn’t be ignored

When The Prodigy began appearing in metal and rock magazines in the mid-90s, not everyone was happy. Letters pages were flooded with complaints. Subscriptions were cancelled. More than one death threat was issued by a disgruntled metal fan.

In hindsight, this reaction – while OTT – was perhaps understandable. In the early 90s, the band and the rave scene they emerged from was seen as the enemy. The antithesis of heavy music, it was the preserve of white-gloved button-pushers who would happily dance around a car alarm. The bottom line was simple: rock and dance did not mix.